Attachment for fabric-tensile-strength testers.



. S. N. SENNA.

ATTACHMENT FOR FABRIC TENSILE STRENGTH TESTERS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC- 5, 914.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

WITN 555s.- INVENTOR.

4%27m BY ATTORNEYS.

S. N. SENNA. ATTACHMENT FOR FABRIC TENSILE STRENGTH TESTERS. APPLICATIONFILED DEC. 5, I914. 1,166 %66; Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNES S: INVENTOR. 6 4/Q am By A TTORNEYS.

UNTTU STATES "PA I i FFTE.

SAMUEL N. SENNA, 0F HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0CHARLES E. TORRANGE, OF HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS.

ATTACHMENT FOR FABRIC-TENSILE-STRENGTH TESTERS;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2%, 1915.

Application filed December 5, 1914. Serial No. 875,717.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL N. SENNA, acitizen of the United States of America, residing at Holyoke, in thecounty of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new anduseful Attachment for Fabric-Tensile-Strength Testers, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in means for operating machinesdesigned to test the tensile strength of paper and other fabrics, andmore especially for Mullen testers, and consists of certain peculiarmotordriven mechanism, which is adapted to be secured to and operativelyconnected with a Mullen or other tester, and is provided with suitablecontrolling means, all as hereinafter set forth.

The present Mullen tester, for measuring the tensile strength orascertaining the resistance to the bursting point of fabrics, isoperated by hand, through the medium of a hand-wheel. This hand-Wheel,when turned to advance a plunger, with which said handwheel isoperatively connected by means of a screw, forces a body of glycerinagainst a rubber diaphragm, over which the sample being tested isclamped, and finally ruptures such sample. The bursting pressure inpounds per square inch is registered by a gage with which the machine isequipped. In performing such test the speed at which the hand-wheel isturned, and consequently the rapidity with which the test is made,varies. This variation is appreciable in tests made on the same sample,hence the tests made in this manner may and generally are very far fromaccurate. For example: suppose a person turns the handwheel at a certainrate of speed and obtains a test of a certain number of pounds to thesquare inch, and with the same sample makes another test and turns thehand-wheel at a faster or slower rate of speed than before, acorresponding variation in the strength of the sample will beregistered, the difference being much greater than would be caused fromany possible variation in the quality of the sample. The variation inspeed is a matter of which the operator is entirely unconscious, butthat such variation does occur and such a non-constant testing speeddoes produce a variation in the tests is unquestionably true.

The principal object of my invention therefore, is to provide for theMullen tester (or any other similar tester) positive and constant speedoperating means, whereby uniform and accurate tests are obtainable withsaid tester. A constant-speed motor is used in my attachment to drive oroperate the tester, and the power is transmitted to said tester througha worm and worm-gear, consequentlv there can be no variation such as Ihave referred to above.

A further object of my invention is to produce an attachment fortesters, which is comparatively simple in construction and operation,strong and durable, capable of being readily attached to and detachedfrom a tester, and provided with both manuallyoperated and automaticmeans of control.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

I attain the objects and secure the advantages of my invention by themechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which'- Figure 1is a top plan of an attachment which embodies a practical form of myinvention; Fig. 2, a front elevation of said attachment, the couplingnut being broken away in part, and a portion of a Mullen tester beingshown; Fig. 3, a top plan of the worm drive, the vertical members beingin cross section; Fig. 4, an isometric view of the upper end portion ofthe hollow shaft, and, Fig. 5, an enlarged central vertical section,through the major portion of the attachment, taken on lines 5-5, lookingin the direction of the associated arrow, in Fig. 1.

Similar numerals designate similar parts throughout the several views. I

The attachment is represented, in Fig. 2, as being connected with thetester therein appearing, enough of the latter being shown for thepurpose, and portions of the tester frame and plunger being in sectionfor the purpose of disclosing fully the manner of making the connection.The tester members illustrated consist of parts of a frame 1 rising froma base 2 and provided with a yoke 3, a horizontal cylinder 4 whlch ismounted in said yoke and extends beyond both ends of the same, and aplunger 6 arrangedto reciprocate in said cylinder, said plunger having ascrew-threaded passage 7 1n the axial center thereof. The passage 7 isfor the screw 9f the hand-wheel, to which reference 9 has been made, andwhich screw is removed when my attachment is used. The end of thecylinder 4 that extends beyond the lefthand end of the yoke 3 isexternally screwthreaded, and. this screw-threaded part is a necessaryelement in the old hand-driven operating means. No change intheconstruction of the Mullen tester is, therefore, required in order toenable my attachment to be applied thereto. as will subsequently beinore fully set forth.

Although I have designed this attachment for Mullen testers moreparticularly. I do not desire or intend to be limited in the applicationor use of said attachment to said testers, but may apply it to any othermake of tester wherein a reciprocating plunger is present. Furthermore.it is to be understood that changes in the shape, size. arrangement, andconstruction of some or all of the parts of my attachment ma be madewithout departing from the spirit of my invention.

Passing now to the attachment i self and as illustrated in the drawings.it will be observed that I provide for the same a b se plate 9 and mountthereon a motor 10 and a. sup ort 11. The motor 10 is mounted on thebase plate 9 at one end. and the support 11 is mounted thereon betweenthe ends, while a receptacle 12, for thebase2 of the tester, is providedat the end of said plate which is opposite to that upon which said motoris mounted. The support 11 is provided at the top with a housing 13 fora worm 14. .A gear case 15 extends forwardly from the housing 13. Theworm 14 is secured to the motor shaft 16. which latter in the presentcase com isestwosections coupled together at 8. The housing 13 and thegear case 15 are made in two sections which are secured together byscrews 17 in the usual manner.

An upright hollow shaft 18 extends through th ear case '15. such shafthaving an in e mediate enlargement 19 with an external flange 20 at thetop. Secured on the shaft 18 under the case 15 is a collar 21. Looselymounted on the shaft 18, within the case 15. is a worm-gear 22. The worm14 intermeshes with the wornrgear 22 which is in front of the said.worm. A clutch member 23-is provided on the worm-gear 22, and mountedon the enlargement 19, above said member and adapted to en age andrelease the same. is a clutch member 24. The bottom of the case 15 andthe hub (including the member 23) of the worm-gear 22 are between thecollar 21 and the enlargement 19, so that the shaft 18 can not moveendwise. A vertical rod 25 is located partly within the hollow shaft 18and partly outside and above said shaft,and a transverse pin 26 extendsthrough said rod, a short distance above. the lower or lnner endthereof, and

through the 'sides of said shaft and of the clutch 24:, vertical slots2727 being provided in said shaft for said pin. lhe slots 27 enable thepin 26 to be moved up, by means of the rod 25, with the member 21-, theamount of such movement being sutlicient to disengage said member fromthe member 23. A spiral spring 29 is introduced between the member 24-and flange 20, around the enlargement 19, for the purpose of normallyretaining said member in engagement with the member 23. When the clutchmembers are in engagement, the pin 26 is in the lower parts of the slots27. A thumb-nut or handle 31 is mounted loosely on the top of the rod25, and depending from said handle is a finger or a pair of fingerswhich are receivable in oppositelydisposed vertical slots 32-32 in thesides of the shaft 18 at the top. when said rod is in its low position.Such fingers are represented at 31. Ho izontal groo es or recesses 3333are provided for the fingers 31, in the upper edge of the shaft 18. suchrecesses usually being in a vertical plane that is at rightngles to thevertical plane of the slots 32. Vhen the rod 25 is d awn up, bv means ofthe handle 34 and against the resiliency of the spring 29. to disengagethe clutch member 24 from the clutch member 23. the

fingers 31 pass out of the slots 32, and then, by giving said handle aquarter turn in either direction and releasing it. said fingers dropinto the recesses 33 and hold said rod securely in its elevatedposition. Thus provision is made for retaining the clutch memher 2% indisengaged position. Befo e the member 24 can be again engaged with themember 23, the rod 25 must be ra sed to take the fingers from therecesses 33. and the handle 34 turned to bring said fin ers in o thevertical plane of the slots 32. The handle 34 with the rod 25 is thenreleased, when the spring 29 acts to force the memb r 24 into engagementwith the member 23. The handle 34 may be secured on the rod 2:") bymeans of a set-se ew 36. which passes through the top of said handle andis ta ppcd into the top of said rod. An eccentric or cam 37 is securedon the shaft 18 below the pin 31.

The upper portion of the shaft 18 has bearings in and is suppo ted bythe arms of a horizontal yoke 38. The yoke 38 is supported from thetester yoke 3 and cylinder 4 by means of a nut or coupling The coupling39 is internall screw-threaded to fit the left-hand protruding terminalof the cylinder 4, and said coupling, when screwed tightly into place,bears against the contiguous end of the yoke 3 and draws a shoulder 40on said cylinder hard against the opposite end of said yoke, as clearlyshown in Fig. 2. Set-screws all are employed to securely fasten togetherthe yoke 38 and the coupling 39, after the parts have been properlyadjusted, said coupling having a tailpiece 42 that fits into the head ofsaid yoke and against which the inner ends of said set screws bear.Arranged to reciprocate in and through the yoke 38 and the nut 39 is atailscrew 43. The end of the tail-screw 43, which is between the arms ofthe yoke 38, is provided with a yoke 44, while the opposite end orterminal of said tail-screw is designed to be screwed into the adjacentend of the passage 7 in the tester plunger 6. Two followers oranti-friction rollers 45 are mounted on vertical spindles 4646 whichhave their hearings in the arms of the yoke 44, such rollers being solocated that they cont-act at all times with opposite sides of theeccentric 37. Thus it is seen that, when the shaft 18 is revolved, theeccentric 37, acting through the rol ers 45 and their shafts 46, causesthe yoke 44 and the tailscrew 43 to reciprocate, and that such motionwill be imparted or transmitted by said tail-screw to the plunger 6,provided the former be screwed into the latter, as it is in practice.When the plunger 6 and the tail-piece 43 are connected, they are so21djusted relatively as to insure to said plunger the proper length ofstroke,

Mounted on the head of the yoke 44 and rising therefrom, through a slot47 in the upper arm of the yoke 38, is post 48. This post carriesthereon a lifting finger or lifter 49 for the clutch rod 25. The lifteris slotted at 50 for the passage of the upper terminal of the post 48,and is held in place on a shoulder 51 by means of a thumb-nut 52. Theshoulder 51 is a part of the post 48, and the thumb-nut 52 is threadedonto said post above said shoulder and the interposed lifter. Theterminal of the lifter 49 which is adjacent to the rod 25 is forked, asrepresented at 53. The slot 50 permits the lifter 49 to be adjustedlcngitudinally, when the thumbnut 52 is loosened.

The lifter 49 is for use as an automatic stop for the mechanism drivenby the wormgear 22, in case it is not desired to throw out the clutch byhand. "When not set for action the lifter 49 is retained by thethumb-nut- 52 with the left-hand end of the slot 50 against the adjacentpart of the post 48, but when said lifter is to be used it is reset. byloosening said thumb-nut, moving said lifter the required distancetoward the rod 25, and retightening said thumb-nut. This resetting isdone while the yoke 44 is a little distance from the end of its outwardtravel. Now, upon starting the motor, with the clutch in, the yoke 44with attached parts, including the plunger 6, makes the test stroke andreturns, and upon the return stroke forces the lifter fork 53, which isinclined upwardly from the outer ends of the arms or branches, beneaththe handle 34, said arms or branches then passing on opposite sides ofthe rod 25,

' and said lifter is thick with the result that said handle and said rodare raised and the clutch member 24 is disengaged from the clutch member23. The mechanism thus stopped can not be started. again until thethumb-nut 52 is loosened and the lifter 49 moved from beneath the handle34.

The lifter 49 is so located that its bottom plane is approximately on alevel with the horizontal plane of the top of the shaft 18, enough toraise the parts the distance required to throw out the clutch.Preferably there is a little clearance between the top of the snaft l8and the underside of the handle 34 when said handle is in its lowposition, since this facilitates the entrance of the fork 53 beneathsaid handle.

In practice, the tester is placed in the receiver 12, the tail-screw 43is screwed the proper distance into the plunger 6, and the yoke '38, insupporting relation to the shaft 18, is securely and accurately fastenedto the cylinder 4 and the yoke S by means of the coupling 39 and withthe aid of the setscrews 41. The attachment is now ready for use.

When a test or a number of tests is to be made by the tester, the motor10 is started and power therefrom is transmitted through the shaft 16and tie worm 14 to the wormgear 22, which latter runs loose on the shaft18. It is assumed that the clutch is out at this time. The handle 34 isnext rasped and raised and turned to disengage the fin gers 31 from therecesses and then permitted to descend, under the influence of thesoring'29, with said lingers in the slots 32, said spring carrying theclutch member 24 down into engagement with the clutch member 23, uponwhich it bears, and with said member the rod through the medium of thepin 26. The pin 26 thus moves from the top to the bottom of the slots27. The clutch members 23 and 24 being in engagement, the latter isactuated by the former and carries with it the shaft 18 with theeccentric 37, and incidentally the rod 25 which is connected by the pin26 with said shaft and said member As often as the eccentric makes acomplete revolution the tail-screw 43 is caused to make a full stroke ineach direction, through the medium of the rollers 45, the spindles 46,and the yoke 44, conse piently the plunger 6 must also make a fullstroke in each direction. It is upon the forward stroke of the plunger 6that a test is made by the tester.

The rotary parts above the worm-gear and consequently the reciprocatingparts may be stopped at the end of the return stroke of the latter, ifdesired, by setting the lifter 49 so that, as the yoke 44 approaches theend of its return stroke, said lifter will pass under the handle 34 andelevate said handle and with it the rod 25, pin 26, and clutch-member24, against the resiliency of the spring 29, thus disengaging saidmemher from the clutch member 23. The pin 26 rises in the slots 27, whenthe clutch disengaging operation takes place. The mechanism above theworm-gear 22 can not now be started again until the lifter 49 isreadjusted in the manner previously explained.

To stop the aforesaid mechanism by hand,

simply grasp and raise the handle 8% with attached parts, which can bedone safely because of the very slow rate of speed at which saidthumb-nut is revolving. The clutch may be thrown in again at once, orthe handle may be turned and the fingers 31 slipped into the recesses33.

The attachment may be uncoupled from the tester at any time, byloosening the set screws 41, unscrewing the coupling 39 from thecylinder 4, andunscrewing the tail-screw 43 from the plunger 6.

The slot 47 is longenough to permit the post 48 to travel with the yoke44: the full distance required.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination, in an attachment for fabric tensile strengthtesters, with the tester frame and plunger, of a reciprocable memberattachable to said plunger, a supporting member, for saidfirst-mentioned member, attachable to said frame, and powerdriven meansfor actuating said firstmentioned member.

2. T 1e combination, in an attachment for fabric tensile strengthtesters, with the tester frame and plunger, of a reciprocable memberattachable to said plunger, a supporting member for said reciprocablemember, means to attach said supporting member to and release it fromsaid frame, and powerdriven means for actuating said reciprocablemember.

3. The combination, in an attachment for fabric tensile strengthtesters, with the tester cylinder and plunger, of a reciprocable memberattachable to said plunger, a supporting member for said reciprocablemember, a coupling adapted to connect said supporting member with saidcylinder, and powerdriven means to actuate said reciprocable member.

4;. In an attachment for fabric tensile strength testers, a base plateprovided with receiving means for a tester, a motormounted on saidplate, a housing and gear case also mounted on said plate,power-transmitting mechanism, for a tester held by said receiving means,supported by said tester, and driving mechanism for saidpower-transmitting mechanism, said driving mechanism ,bein' in said earcase and housin and connected with said motor.

5. An attachment, for fabric tensile strength testers, comprising amember provided with a part that is capable of being attachedto atester, a member mounted to reciprocate in the first and adapted to beattached to a tester plunger, and powerdriven means to actuate saidmember which is attachable to said plunger.

6. An attachment, for fabric tensile strength testers, comprising amember attachable to a tester, a member mounted to reciprocate in thefirst and attachable to a tester plunger, driving mechanism for saidmember which is attachable to said plunger, power driving means for saidmechanism, and means to stop said mechanism approximately at the end ofeach return stroke of said last-mentioned member.

7. An attachment, for fabric tensile strength testers, comprising amember attachable to a tester, a member mounted to reciprocate in thefirst and attachable to a tester plunger, driving mechanism for saidmember which is attachable to said plunger, power driving means for saidmechanism, and clutch mechanism between said power driving means andsaid driving mechanism.

8. An attachment, for fabric tensile strength testers, comprising amember attachable to a tester, a member mounted to reciprocate in thefirst and attachable to a tester plunger, driving mechanism for saidmember which is attachable to said plunger, power driving means for saidmechanism, clutch mechanism between said power driving means and saiddriving mechanism, and hand-operated means for said clutch mechanism.

9. An attachment, for fabric tensile strength testers, comprising amember at tachable to a tester, a member mounted to reciprocate in thefirst and attachable to a tester plunger, driving mechanism for saidmember which is attachable to said plunger, power driving means for saidmechanism, clutch mechanism between said power driving means and saiddriving mechanism, and automatically operating means for said clutchmechanism, whereby the latter is caused to act to stop said drivingmeans approximately at the end of the return stroke of saidlast-mentioned member.

10. An attachment, for fabric tensile strength testers, comprising amember attachable to a tester, a member mounted to reciprocate in thefirst-mentioned member and attachable to a tester plunger, drivingmechanism for said member which is attachable to said plunger, powerdriving means for said mechanism, clutch mechanism between said powerdriving means and said driving mechanism, hand-operated means for saidclutch mechanism, and automatically-operated means for said clutchmechanism, said automatically-operated means be ing adapted to act tostop said driving amazes means approximately at the end of the returnstroke of said last-mentioned member.

11. The combination, in an attachment for fabric tensile strengthtesters, with a revoluble shaft, a power-drvien member loose on saidshaft, supporting means for said member and shaft, clutch means tocouple said member to and uncouple it from said shaft, and a cam securedon said shaft, of a supporting member attachable to a tester, said shafthaving a bearing in said supporting member, and a reciprocable membermounted in said supporting member, and provided with a cam-engagingpart, said reciprocable member being attachable to a tester plunger.

12. The combination, in an attachment for fabric tensile strengthtesters, with a revoluble shaft, a poWer-drvien member loose on saidshaft, said member having a clutch member, supporting means for saidpowerdriven member and shaft, a spring-pressed clutch member on saidshaft in operative relation to said first-mentioned clutch member, meansto connect said second clutch member rotatably with said shaft, and acam secured on said shaft, of a supporting member attachable to atester, said shaft having a bearing in said supporting member, and areciprocable member mounted in said supporting member, and provided witha camengaging part, said reciprocable member being attachable to atester plunger.

13. The combination, in an attachment for fabric tensile strengthtesters, with a revoluble shaft, a power-driven member loose on saidshaft, supporting means for said member and shaft, clutch means tocouple said member to and uncouple it from said shaft, and a cam securedon said shaft, of a yoke, said shaft having bearings in said yoke, acoupling to attach said yoke to a tester, a tail-screw attachable toatester plunger, said tail-screw having a yoke and being reciprocable insaid first-mentioned yoke, and rollers carried by said tail-screw yokein engagement with oppositely-disposed points of said cam.

14. The combination, in an attachment for fabric tensile strengthtesters, with'a revoluble hollow slotted shaft, a power-driven memberloose on said shaft, said member having a clutch member, supportingmeans for said power-driven member and shaft, a

spring-pressed clutch member on said shaft in operative relation to saidfirst-mentioned clutch member, a rod in said shaft and pro-- jectingtherefrom at the top, a pin extending from said rod through the slots insaid shaft into said second clutch member, and a cam secured on saidshaft, of a supporting member attachable to a tester, said shaft havinga bearing in said supporting member, and a reciprocable member mountedin said supporting member, and provided with a cam-engaging part, saidreciprocable member being attached to a tester plunger.

15. The combination, in an attachment for fabric tensile strengthtesters, with a revoluble shaft, a power-driven member loose on saidshaft, said member having a clutch member, supporting means for saidpower driven member and shaft, a spring-pressed clutch member on saidshaft in operative re lation to said first-mentioned clutch member,means to connect said clutch member with said shaft, means to actuatesaid second clutch member out of engagement with said first clutchmember, means to retain said second member in disengaged position, and acam secured on said shaft, of a supporting member attachable to atester, said shaft having a bearing in said supporting member, and areciprocable member mounted in saidsupporting member, and provided witha camrengaging part, said reciprocable member being attachable to atester plunger.

The combination, in an attachment for fabric tensile strength testers,with a revoluble hollow slotted shaft, a power-driven member loose onsaid shaft, said member having a clutch member, supporting means forsaid power-driven member and shaft, a spring-pressed clutch member onsaid shaft in operative relation to said first-mentioned clutch member,a rod in said shaft and projecting therefrom at the top, a pin extendingfrom said rod through certain of the slots in said shaft into saidsecond clutch memb a handle loosely mounted on said rod and providedwith a finger which is adapted to enter'a slotted part of said shaft,when said rod is down, and to rest on top of said shaft, when said rodis elevated and said handle is turned, and a cam secured on said shaft,of a supporting member attachable to a tester, said shaft, having abearing in said supporting member, and a recipro cable member mounted insaid supporting member, and provided with a cam-engaging part, saidreciprocable member being attachable to a tester plunger.

17. The combination, in an attachment for fabric tensile strengthtesters, with a revoluble hollow shaft, a power-driven member loose onsaid shaft, supporting means for said member and shaft, clutch meansadapted to couple saidmember to and uncouple it from said shaft, suchmeans consisting in part of a rod in said shaft and projecting therefromat the top, a projecting member on the protruding portion of said rod,and a cam secured on said shaft, of a supporting member attachable to atester, said shaft having a bearing in said supporting member, areciprocable member mounted in said supporting member and provided witha cam-engaging part, a post carried by said reciprocable member, alifter, and means to mount said lifter on said post in operativerelation to said rod.

18. In an attachment for fabric tensile strength testers, a base plate,a support mounted on said plate, a housing and gear case mounted on saidsupport, power-transmitting mechanism, for a tester mounted on saidplate supported by said case, and driving gears in said housing andcase, for said power-transmitting mechanism.

19. The combination, in an attachment for fabric tensile strengthtesters, of vertical power-transmitting means, horizontal driven meansattachable to a tester plunger, a connection between said vertical meansand said horizontal driven means, and automatic means to stop saidpower-transmitting projecting member on said means approximately at theend of each cycle thereof.

20. The combination, in an attachment for fabric tensile strengthtesters, of vertical poWer-transmitting means,horizontal driven meansattachable to a tester plunger, a connection between said vertical meansand said horizontal driven means, hand-operated starting means for saidpoWer-transmitting means, and automatic stopping means therefor, saidstopping means acting approximately at the end of each cycle of saidpower-transmitting means.

SAMUEL N. SENNA. lVitnesses F. A. CUTTER, A. C. FAIRBANKS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

